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 |  Subject: BIDEN ORDERS FORCES TO BALTICS, WARNS RUSSIA PLANS FURTHER INVASION OF UKRAINE  Wed Feb 23, 2022 12:22 pm | |
| https://www.blacklistednews.com/article/81891/biden-orders-forces-to-baltics-warns-russia-plans-further-invasion-of.htmlBIDEN ORDERS FORCES TO BALTICS, WARNS RUSSIA PLANS FURTHER INVASION OF UKRAINEFebruary 23, 2022 SOURCE: BREAKING DEFENSE
Warning that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to send troops to Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions is the beginning of a larger invasion, US President Joe Biden today announced a series of sanctions against Russia while ordering US forces to move closer to NATO’s eastern flank.
During remarks at the White House, Biden announced sanctions aimed at two major financial institutions — Russia’s VEB bank and Promsvyazbank, its military bank — as well as imposing sanctions on Russian sovereign debt. Further sanctions on Russian elites and their families will be announced tomorrow.
Biden also announced that some US troops and equipment already deployed to Europe would move to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia in order to deter any threat Russia could pose to the three NATO nations.
Those movements, according to a senior defense official, include:
- An infantry battalion task force of approximately 800 troops from Italy to the Baltic region
- Up to eight F-35s from Germany to the Baltic region
- A battalion of 20 AH-64 Apache attack helicopters from Germany to the Baltic area
- An aviation task force of 12 AH-64 Apache attack helicopters from Greece to Poland
A European source told Breaking Defense that it is expected that air assets will be sent to Estonia, with ground forces likely for Latvia and Lithuania. Shortly after Biden’s speech, Estonia’s defense minister issued a statement in Estonian saying air defense assets are expected — potentially a sign that the F-35s will be based there.The announcement of sanctions comes a day after Putin delivered a speech on recognizing the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk and further announced plans to deploy Russian troops to the region for so-called “peacemaking” operations. Earlier today, Putin received approval from Russia’s upper house of parliament to begin moving troops into the territory, which is currently controlled by Russian-backed separatists.READ MORE... |
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